NEW DELHI: In a troubling development, the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir‘s latest report reveals a resurgence of militancy in the once-peaceful Jammu region, alongside continued violence in Kashmir. Despite initial improvements in overall security between August 2023 and June 2024, recent months have witnessed a sharp increase in attacks, negating earlier progress.
The report indicates that total deaths from militant attacks and counter-insurgency operations decreased from 137 in August 2022 and July 2023 to 104 between August 2023 and June 2024. However, this trend reversed dramatically in June and July 2024, with civilian deaths rising from 19 to 20 and security force casualties jumping from 21 to 33, with numbers still climbing.
The Jammu region, long considered a bastion of relative stability, has seen a marked increase in militant activities. The report attributes this resurgence to a complex interplay of factors. The redeployment of several troop contingents to the Line of Actual Control following Chinese incursions in 2020 left significant gaps in Jammu province’s security and intelligence grids.
This situation was exacerbated by rising attacks on Muslims across much of India, which have alienated many in the border regions. Furthermore, a controversial reservation policy that pitted Paharis against Gujjars and the 2022 delimitation exercise has rekindled support for cross-border infiltration in areas like Poonch-Rajouri, where such backing had been absent for over a decade and a half.
The report details a series of violent incidents that underscore the deteriorating security situation. On December 21, 2023, militants attacked two army vehicles in the Rajouri district, killing four soldiers and injuring three others. In a shocking incident on June 9, 2024, militants opened fire on a bus carrying pilgrims in the Reasi district, resulting in nine deaths, including two young cousins aged 22 and 16, and a 2-year-old child. The attack was reportedly orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Hamza.
Just two days later, on June 11, an encounter in Kathua district – another area that had long been peaceful – left two militants and a CRPF personnel dead. The militants were found with a US-made M4 carbine and Pakistan-made medicines and food, indicating cross-border support.
The violence continued into July, with an attack on an army camp in Rajouri on July 7, followed by a deadly ambush on two army trucks in Kathua on July 8. The latter incident resulted in five soldiers killed and six injured, with the militants using armour-piercing bullets. The Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility.
The report notes that approximately 60 foreign terrorists, trained in jungle warfare, are believed to be operating in the Jammu province, significantly complicating counter-insurgency efforts.
The Kashmir Valley has not been spared from violence either. Between January and July 16, 2024, the South Asia Terrorism Portal recorded 34 fatalities in Kashmir, including 26 militants killed. Notable incidents include the killing of a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist in Pulwama on April 11, and a prolonged counter-insurgency operation in Kulgam between July 6 and 7 that resulted in the deaths of six militants and two soldiers.
Drawing a comparison between the two provinces, the report notes that 11 troops have lost their lives in the Jammu division in contrast to 2 in the Kashmir division; similarly, 4 militants have been killed in Jammu as against 26 in Kashmir.
The report also highlights the ongoing vulnerability of minority communities and migrant workers. While no Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the past year, threats against the community persist, including a chilling voicemail received by Kashmiri Pandit government employees on February 19, 2024, demanding they leave the valley.
Migrant labourers continue to be targeted, with at least four attacks reported between October 2023 and April 2024, resulting in three deaths and one injury.
On October 30, 2023, Mukesh Kumar, a brick kiln worker from Uttar Pradesh who was buying essentials, was shot dead by militants at the border of the Pulwama and Budgam districts.
On February 7, 2024, Amritpal Singh and Rohit, carpenters from Amritsar, were gunned down by militants in Srinagar’s old city. Singh was instantly shot dead, while Rohit was injured, succumbing to his wounds the following day. This was the first targeted killing of 2024.
Dilranjeet Singh from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, was shot by militants in Herpora in the Shopian district on April 8, 2024; he was rushed to the hospital shortly after and was in stable condition.
Raju Shah from Bihar was shot dead in Bijbehara town in Anantnag district on April 18, 2024. According to his mother, he sold pakodas (vegetable fritters) and left behind a wife and son. He was the sole earner of the family. Since 2017, around 31 migrant workers have been killed in the region.
The human cost of this violence is starkly illustrated by the story of Faisal Parray, a teacher in Pulwama who has personally assisted in transporting the bodies of at least 20 migrant workers back to their homes since 2022. The report notes that since 2017, around 31 migrant workers have been killed in the region.
In a new development, Village Defense Guards, civilian volunteers assisting in security efforts, have also become targets. In April 2024, a guard was shot in Udhampur district, and in July, the house of a decorated guard was attacked in Rajouri.
This resurgence of violence presents significant challenges to the region’s stability and raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current security strategies, the report points out.
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